How To Overcome Stress Eating

12 Jun How To Overcome Stress Eating

Posted at 15:53h in Advice by

Stress eating is one of the biggest challenges facing our clients, with many citing stress as a significant contributor to their weight gain. So why does feeling stressed cause us to eat more? And what can be done to overcome stress eating?

Need help dealing with stress eating? We’re here to help. Book a complimentary call to find out how. 

WHY DO WE EAT MORE WHEN STRESSED?

When we get stressed our body releases increased levels of stress hormones. Part of the reason for this is because in biological terms, we haven’t evolved much since caveman times, when physiological stress meant a need for ‘fight or flight’. Both of these activities involve energy expenditure, thus we can feel hungrier at times of stress. One research study found that people who experience stress at work ate more and made less healthy food choices at dinner time. Emotional eating or comfort eating is also used as a soothing behaviour by many in times of stress, to distract from the issue at hand. Of course, stress eating or emotional eating often means turning to processed, high sugar / fat foods, rather than nutritionally-rich foods that support weight management. Snacking between meals can also increase when we are stressed.

STRESS AND ABDOMINAL WEIGHT GAIN

Increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol have been linked to increased fat storage around the middle. When too much cortisol is produced it promotes fat storage, particularly around the abdomen. Storing fat around the middle is particularly harmful to health as it increases our risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and stroke.

Read more about stress and weight gain here.

HOW DO YOU OVERCOME STRESS EATING?


There are several strategies that can help manage stress eating. One approach is to practise mindful eating, which means using all of your physical and emotional senses to experience and enjoy the food choices you make. Mindfulness training develops the skills needed to be aware of and accept thoughts and emotions without judgement, and it also distinguishes between emotional versus physical hunger cues. These skills can improve your ability to cope with the psychological distress that sometimes leads to binge eating. Studies also show that slower eating is associated with eating less food, which is helpful if you are combatting stress and trying to lose weight. Seeking support from a mental health professional or a qualified nutritionist can also be helpful in managing stress eating.

HOW TO TACKLE STRESS

If you feel that stress is an issue for you, here’s a short exercise you can try to help you get some clarity around your stress and what you can do to help manage it.

Ask yourself:

  • What is the cause of my stress? (thoughts, people, events, finances)
  • How do I respond to stress? (become tense / irritable, overeat, worry, etc.)
  • How much of the stress am I in control of? If you can identify the stressors you do have control over, then you can decide what needs to change (e.g. avoiding the stressor) What do I not have control over, but could react to differently?
  • What strategies can I implement to overcome this stress? Can I get someone to help me?

    It’s possible to feel stressed but not be aware of exactly where your stress is coming from. Or you could be aware of the cause of your stress but not know how to tackle the situation to improve it. If this is the case, it’s worth considering seeking help. A good therapist can be invaluable in helping you work through the challenges that are causing your stress.

    You might also like to consider these evidence based supplements for stress.

WORK WITH US TO OVERCOME YOUR STRESS EATING

An optimal diet and a balanced lifestyle plan can make a huge difference when it comes to helping you deal with stress and its negative effects on your health and your weight. Aside from optimising your nutrition to support stress, we also work with you to create healthy lifestyle habits, so you’re less likely to eat more when you experience stress. If you would like support with managing your stress levels, improving your health or losing weight, we invite you to book in for a complimentary call with to discuss how we can help you.

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SARAH LAW

Sarah has worked with hundreds of clients over the past decade to help them live in a healthy body that they feel confident in.


Sarah spent a large part of her teens and 20’s as a professional dancer battling with orthorexia and an unhealthy relationship with food and her body. This created a desire to understand the human body more so she could finally cut through the confusion and end the cycle of yoyo dieting. This fuelled her passion to help other women do the same.

 

Sarah specialises in supporting women who are struggling to lose weight due to underlying health issues. She’s helped many women manage their weight during and after the menopause, as well as clients with thyroid disease and immune system dysfunction. Sarah loves food and sharing healthy recipes with her clients. Her aim is to ensure that clients don’t feel deprived and instead, achieve their weight loss and health goals in a positive and sustainable way.

 

To enquire about working with Sarah, please contact us.

AILSA HICHENS

 

Ailsa is one of our most experienced practitioners. She specialises in helping clients to lose weight, develop a healthy relationship with food and finally feel comfortable in their skin. Ailsa’s mission is for everyone she works with to enjoy the journey and that working with a nutritionist should not be a punishment, but your access to a new possibility.

 

Ailsa is not only an experienced weight loss nutritionist, she is also a skilled coach. She helps our clients overcome emotional eating, destructive habits and self-sabotaging behaviours that have prevented successful weight loss in the past. Ailsa has spent years in clinic working with clients who have experienced yo-yo dieting and have discovered that long term weight loss is not just about eating less until you can stand it no longer.

 

Working with Ailsa you will be comprehensively supported, not only in improving your nutrition and lifestyle, but also your eating habits and your relationship with food. When you work on all these elements together, the results can be truly astonishing.

 

To enquire about working with Ailsa, please contact us.

Test Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of the business. Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning. A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

NIKKI ANDRIANI

 

Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of th clinic.

 

Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning.

 

A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

STÉPHANIE ACHAR

Stéphanie is a skilled nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner with additional training in eating disorders, disordered eating and obesity. She believes that working towards both physiological and mental health is key in achieving optimum wellbeing.

 

Stéphanie’s personal experience of emotional eating and the ongoing struggle to find the right support led her to combine the science of nutrition with behavioural coaching to motivate and empower her clients. She specialises in helping people who struggle with their weight and their relationship with food. She helps them develop a healthier and more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.

 

To enquire about working with Stéphanie, please contact us.

INNA WEARN

Inna is passionate about supporting women on their journey to improved health and wellbeing. She believes that the solution to effective weight loss does not lie in ever more restrictive diets, but a more sophisticated approach that optimises health and vitality, as well as promoting effective weight loss.

 

Working with Inna you will benefit from her in-depth knowledge of female health and hormones. She will support you in developing a healthy diet, lifestyle and mindset that ensures you reach your ideal weight and maintain it in the years to come.

 

Inna is passionate about food with a wide repertoire of delicious healthy recipes and meal ideas to ensure your weight loss journey is as enjoyable as possible!

 

To enquire about working with Inna, please contact us.

ANIA MASON

 

Ania is a firm believer that improving your health and losing weight should be a positive, empowering journey, not one centred around deprivation.

 

After being diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions in her twenties, Ania spent several years educating herself on the power of food and nutrition. She put it all into practise and changed her diet and lifestyle, reversing her endometriosis and thyroid disease. After experiencing such a significant improvement in her health, Ania had a big desire to help others. She embarked on a four year journey to study nutrition, graduating from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition with distinction.

 

Ania specialises in autoimmunity and works with clients who have underlying health issues preventing successful weight loss. Her expertise enables her to successfully support our clients with conditions such as hypothyroidsm (underactive thyroid), PCOS and diabetes. 

 

To enquire about working with Ania, please contact us.

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